To bring or not to bring the kids?

Minimousemomof2

Earning My Ears
Joined
Oct 20, 2018
I’m running the Princess Half for the second time with several family members and I can’t decide if I should bring my 2 kids - ages 3 years and 7 months at race time. My mom/their grandmother has offered to bring them to watch me race because I have mom guilt going to Disney without them BUT will they actually be able to see me without waking up at 3 am? If they want to watch me in the Magic Kingdom, what’s the latest they can catch a bus to get in the park? Or if they take the 7 am bus, can they watch me at the finish? Any advice?

Note, I’m likely in one of the later corrals and probably a 11.5/12 min mile. And, I’ll buy them chEAR squad packages. We’re staying at the Disney Swan if that makes a difference.

I think it would be so rewarding to have my kids cheer on my major accomplishment but I won’t torture them (and grandma) with no sleep and a stressful experience
 
Buses for spectators take a break between 5 and 7 am, so if they want to catch you at MK, they will have to be on a bus by 5 in order to get to Epcot to take the monorail. Even with a car, there are so many road closures, they wouldn't be able to get to TTC or even Epcot any later than that to catch you at MK. (Here's this year's road closure map http://www.orlandoparksnews.com/2018/02/disney-princess-half-marathon-weekend.html) I have never cheered at MK--just run, so maybe someone else with experience can chime in. The finish line is a safer bet.

ETA: Seeing your kids' ages....probably not worth it.
 
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At those ages, I would say no. It is so early and they are too young to understand it. My kids are older (9, 11, 14) and still wouldn't bother with them. They have seen me race so many times, I would rather they not get their sleep disrupted and it only adds stress to my race. I did WDW marathon in 2017 and saw them when I got back to the room. DH came out and saw me at the Boardwalk, only because we were staying at Yacht Club! I am doing the marathon in January and I'm not even bringing them to WDW this time.
 
My kids are 5 and 3.5 and I have zero intentions of bringing them to my races for at least 10 years (or if they show interest in it). It’s hectic enough as an adult cheering in different areas or waiting for your runner to pass by and they definitely wouldn’t understand or care even at this age. The only way I would possibly do it is if we stayed at Boardwalk and told them to come down right before I was passing by.
 


One thing to consider when they are really little. It was sometimes hard on my daughter to see me at a race and then have to wait for me to finish. Like she didn't care that mom wasn't around until she saw mom and then I couldn't come just hang out with her because I still had to keep running or finish and get through the finish line chutes.

She's starting to grow out of that now that she's almost 6, but if I can't get close enough to high five or hug she still gets pretty upset.

We've done where I met up with everyone post race at a character breakfast and so it was still a big celebration with me in my running clothes with my medal, but easier on her.
 
I’m torn on this one. As a proud papa who loves to see loved ones during and post race, I’d say yes.

Having attended the Princess races as said loved one and runner, it can be darn cold.

I didnt find getting back and forth from the start to MK and back to the finish real difficult ... but I also wasn’t juggling lil ones.

Whichever way you decide,you’ll be right!
 
This is going to be a completely irrelevant point but I just wanna say it: When the races were at Disneyland it was so much easier to have someone bring my kid to watch me run by. My DD saw me run almost every DL race I did. However, when we went to WDW for Wine and Dine last year, my DD was 5 and I didn't even want to bother my family with trying to drag her out to a point to see me run by because WDW is just so large and time consuming to get around.
 


BUT will they actually be able to see me without waking up at 3 am?

Not really, imo.

I’m likely in one of the later corrals and probably a 11.5/12 min mile.

With that time you won’t be in a late corral at princess. Middle of the pack, if my own experience (three princesses with a slightly slower estimate than that) stays true.

I’ll buy them chEAR squad packages.

Absolutely no need to do that. Chear gets you a blanket and clappers depending on the level, and reserved spots at MK and the finish. You don’t need those. And you won’t have them following you around, so then it’s just at the finish. And it’s not necessary.
 
I think it would be so rewarding to have my kids cheer on my major accomplishment but I won’t torture them (and grandma) with no sleep and a stressful experience
I've ran a total of of 3 races with a spectator. My mom spectated the 2015 Star Wars 10K and Half races at Disneyland and my little sister spectated the 2017 Star Wars 10K at Disneyland. She would run the half the next day, but couldn't get into the challenge on time. Honestly, it's nice having someone you know at the race to cheer you on. But I've also really enjoyed all my solo races too.

Given the age of your kids, I don't know that spectating will be much fun at all for them especially as it could come across as being at Disney World, but not getting to do the fun stuff that kids want to do. I think one thing you could consider is to take your kids to the race weekend, but let them hang out with your mom and do their own thing during the race. Maybe you meet up with them in a park or at the resort after the race.

That way they can celebrate the accomplishment with you after the race, but do not have the stress and sleep deprivation that come with attempting to spectate especially if it winds up being cold. Given their ages, this may be a really good idea considering all the challenges that come for spectators. I can only imagine that those challenges get trickier for your mother trying to navigate them with 2 little kids. You might all have a really wonderful time if you just accept that you're running a race and that the kids are having fun at Disney World with your mom. After the race you can celebrate with them at Disney World without them having to wake up insanely early and stand around watching lots of people run by that might occasionally include you.

A final thought. If possible, you may want to have a separate room for you the night before the race so your schedule does not mess with theirs.
 
I did the PHM a few years ago when my girls were almost 2 and 5 years. We also happened to stay at the Swan too.

My husband and the girls did not come to the finish, but met me in the hotel lobby when I got back. It was so much easier logistically, and they got plenty of sleep, etc. according to my photo time stamp, I met them in the lobby at 8:56am.

On another race weekend in DL, we left the kids at home and my husband came to the finish....but missed seeing me! So, no guarantees that they’d see you even if they came!
 
I'm doing Dopey in Jan and wife is coming for the 1/2. We are not bringing the kids (DS17, DS15, DS11). I feel like the kids wouldn't get to fully enjoy the shorter trip with the early bed times and slower park touring. They weren't too happy as we did this once before for 2017 Dark Side but was able to placate them by promising a full week trip next summer. Plus it's nice to have some adult time with my wife.
 
I would probably echo a lot of people on the board and say that you have to get up rediculously early and stand out for a really long time to cheer for mom for a minute.

That being said there are some kids that enjoy being out in the morning holding a sign, ringing a bell or doing something to interact with the crowd. If you think your kids might like that, get them something to help them interact( a Bell from the expo, a giant glove to high 5, or a bowl of candy)


And as others have mention you could always have them celebrate with you (with the appropriate princess for a medal picture in the park) or they could come meet you in the post finish are for pictures and to eat the Oreos out of your goody box.
 
I’m running the Princess Half for the second time with several family members and I can’t decide if I should bring my 2 kids - ages 3 years and 7 months at race time. My mom/their grandmother has offered to bring them to watch me race because I have mom guilt going to Disney without them BUT will they actually be able to see me without waking up at 3 am? If they want to watch me in the Magic Kingdom, what’s the latest they can catch a bus to get in the park? Or if they take the 7 am bus, can they watch me at the finish? Any advice?

Note, I’m likely in one of the later corrals and probably a 11.5/12 min mile. And, I’ll buy them chEAR squad packages. We’re staying at the Disney Swan if that makes a difference.

I think it would be so rewarding to have my kids cheer on my major accomplishment but I won’t torture them (and grandma) with no sleep and a stressful experience

Hi. So my kids are now 16, 16, and 14. I have run about about 4 Disney races...and in short my answer is this...no...leave them home UNLESS and UNTIL they are old enough/want to run with you. My very first race my daughter was supposed to run with me but then she got a stress fracture (maybe she was about 12?) and obviously couldn't run. She was old enough to wait on the benches by herself (this was a 5K and we both had phones) until I was done. No other adults were with us on that trip. About two years a go, I ran Star Wars and the same daughter came with me, not to run but to get on that spectator bus (then 14, big girl) and meet me at the end. She loves Star Wars and wanted to see all the costumes. It turns out that my trainer/friend was also there that weekend and came to greet me at the end (she is great) and I gave my daughter her cell # just incase. I have run now 2 Princesses with my sister, no kids, no spouses just us. Disney is a lot of fun when it is just adults and I wasn't worried about waking up my kids at 3am. I also found the times I've gone with my daughter that because I'm old (I'm 46 now, lol) I find that I end up having to nap on the day I race and I feel like I'm slowing my daughter down. She is very good natured and doesn't mind a break but I don't like to break the vibe of the trips if I am just with a daughter. Does that make sense? It effects everyone and I'd much rather travel with a fellow old lady who also has to nap, lol. True, if another adult was there they could continue on BUT then that is another person I'm waking up at 3am. Bottom line, make it a girls trip. Let your kids stay home with dad and grandma get spoiled by them. I see it as a win win. Just my two cents, everyone does it differently. You are allowed to go to Disney on your own. Frame it as good modeling for your kids. Moms are still people, even after they become moms ;) Good luck!
 

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